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Smeton Surname Ancestry Results

Our indexes 1000-1999 include entries for the spelling 'smeton'. In the period you have requested, we have the following 15 records (displaying 1 to 10): 

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Guisborough Cartulary (1119-1300)
The Augustinian (black canons) priory of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Guisborough (Gyseburne) near Middlesbrough in north Yorkshire, was founded about 1119 by Robert de Brus. The 1100 or so grants of land (mostly in Cleveland) made to the priory from then well into the 13th century were copied into a cartulary or chartulary which survives as Cottonian Manuscript Cleopatra d ii (British Library). This was edited by W. Brown and published by the Surtees Society from 1889. This first part contains the charters from folios 1 to 233, items I to DXCIII. The texts have been stripped of repetitious legal formulae, retaining the details of the grantors, the property, and the witnesses: so the individuals named are mainly local landowners and tenants, canons, servants and wellwishers of the monastery. The charters before 1250 are often undated.

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Guisborough Cartulary
 (1119-1300)
Inhabitants of Yorkshire: Agbrigg Ash wapentake (1379)
The poll tax returns for this wapentake, the area around Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Wakefield.

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Inhabitants of Yorkshire: Agbrigg Ash wapentake
 (1379)
English knights at Agincourt (1415)
At the battle of Agincourt, 25 October 1415, English forces under king Henry V inflicted a signal defeat on the French forces led by the Constable D'Albret. The English are said to have numbered about 15,000 men. This list of 'The Names of the Dukes, Erles, Barons, Knights, Esquires, Serviteurs and others that wer withe the Excellent Prince King Henry the Fifte at the Battell of Agincourt' is of the leaders of the English forces and of the knights (lances) in their retinues: of the archers, for which the battle is famous, hardly a handful are named. Nicholas Harris Nicolas, the antiquarian, found this list accidentally among the manuscripts in the British Museum, and published it, with an extensive account of the battle, in 1827.

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English knights at Agincourt
 (1415)
Landowners and tenants in Yorkshire (1345-1485)
Inquisitions ad quod damnum were held by the appropriate sheriff or escheator (or other officer in whose bailiwick the matter in question might lie) to investigate cases in which the royal or public interest might be damaged by proposed alienation or settlement of land (especially alienation to religious uses, into mortmain). The key findings from these inquisitions were as to the tenure of the land and the service due from it; its yearly value; the lands remaining to the grantor, and whether they sufficed to discharge all duties and customs due from him; and whether he can still be put upon juries, assizes and recognitions, so that the country be not burdened by his withdrawal from them. Generally speaking, this process had the makings of a system of licensing such alienations, and raising money in proportion to the valuations. Equally, there are many items that deal with subjects such as the closing of public roads, the felling or inclosing of woods, or the proposed grant of liberties or immunities. A calendar of these inquisitions from the 19th year of the reign of king Edward III to the 2nd year of Richard III was prepared by the Public Record Office and published in 1906. We have now indexed this calendar by surname and county. Most of the individuals appearing in the calendar are either pious individuals seeking to make grants to religious bodies for the sake of their souls; or landowners securing the disposition and settling of their real estate. But some other names do appear - tenants, trustees, chaplains and clerks.

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Landowners and tenants in Yorkshire
 (1345-1485)
Murderers sheltering in Durham Cathedral: and their victims (1464-1524)
Criminals could evade pursuit by claiming sanctuary in Durham Cathedral. Persons who took refuge fled to the north door of the cathedral, and knocked for admission. There were two chambers over the door in which men slept, for the purpose of admitting fugitives at any hour of the night. As soon as anyone was so admitted, the Galilee bell was immediately tolled, to give notice that someone had taken sanctuary. The offender was required to declare before witnesses the nature of his offence, and to toll a bell in token of his demanding the privilege of sanctuary. He was then provided with a gown of black cloth with a yellow cross, called St Cuthbert's Cross, upon the left shoulder. A grate was provided near the south door to sleep upon, and for 37 days sufficient provisions and bedding were provided. But within 40 days he had to appear before the coroner, clothed in sackcloth, and be branded on his right hand with the sign of the letter A. This signified that he was swearing to abjure the realm: he was then free to leave the country unhindered. The petitions for immunity were entered in the diocesan registers, usually with the marginal note 'Peticio Immunitatis': those from 18 June 1464 to 10 September 1524 (the privilege was finally abolished in 1624) were edited and printed by the Surtees Society in 1837 under the title Sanctuarium Dunelmense. Some of the criminals came from a considerable distance: the great majority were murderers or homicides. Each entry usually gives full name, original address, (often) trade, a brief description of the crime, often with date, and usually the name of the victim, as well as the witnesses to the petition. This index covers all the surnames given.

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Murderers sheltering in Durham Cathedral: and their victims
 (1464-1524)
Tradesmen of York (1272-1558)
No man or woman could trade in the city of York without having obtained 'freedom' of the city.Their names were recorded on the 'Freemen's Roll', or Register of the Freemen of the City of York, which contains about 19,900 names for this period. A list of names was prepared for each year, the year being here reckoned as starting at Michaelmas (29 September) until 1373, and thence at Candlemas (2 February). Each annual list starts with the name of the mayor and the camerarii or chamberlains. The chamberlains were freemen charged with the duty of receiving the fees of the new freemen; of seeing that only freemen traded in the city; and of preparing this roll, which was compiled from the names on their own account books from the receipts for the fees. There are three groups of freemen: those who obtained freedom after serving out an apprenticeship to a freeman; the children of freemen; and those who claimed freedom by 'redemption', i. e. by purchase or gift from the Mayor and Court of Aldermen.

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Tradesmen of York
 (1272-1558)
Scottish litigants, rebels and cautioners (1569-1578)
The Privy Council of Scotland exercised a superior judicial authority in the kingdom, and consequently received and dealt with a constant stream of petitions, as well as dealing with the internal security of the state. This register of the council from July 1569 to June 1578, in the reign of king James VI, was edited by John Hill Burton, Historiographer Royal for Scotland, and published under the direction of the Lord Clerk Register of Scotland in 1878. Some of the individuals mentioned are the complainants, those of whom they complained, and the sureties on both sides: at this period, some of the complainants are alleging serious attacks, often of a feuding nature. Many of the bonds entered into by the cautioners are promises to keep the peace towards such enemies. Failure to answer to the council when summoned was a serious contempt, leading to being denounced a rebel, with serious consequences. But 'horning' was also used in the pursuit of debts: there was no imprisonment for debt in Scotland, but a creditor could have an obstinate debtor ordered, in the sovereign's name, to pay what was due, failing which, the debtor could be put to the horn, denounced as a rebel, and imprisoned as a rebel.

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Scottish litigants, rebels and cautioners
 (1569-1578)
Anglo-Scottish relations (1509-1589)
The State Papers Relating to Scotland is the collection of English government documents dealing with relations with Scotland when the latter was still an independent country.

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Anglo-Scottish relations
 (1509-1589)
Inhabitants of Pittington, county Durham (1592)
'The booke of accomptes and recknings of this parrishe of Pittington wherin is conteined all thinges necessarie for the same accordinge to the Quene's Majestie's Injunctions and my lorde[ the bishop of Durham]'s Monitions.' Refers mostly to parishioners, but occasionally to outsiders on parish business.

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Inhabitants of Pittington, county Durham (1592)
Ancient Funeral Monuments in Westminster (1631)
John Weever compiled, by travel and study, this collection of 'Ancient Fvnerall Monvments within the Vnited Monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the Islands adiacent, with the dissolued Monasteries therein contained: their Founders, and what eminent Persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and bvriall of certaine of the Blood Royall; the Nobilitie and Gentrie of these Kingdomes entombed in forraine Nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the Royall Progenie, the Nobilitie, Gentrie, and Communaltie, of these his Maiesties Dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of Historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued Authors, infallible Records, Lieger Bookes, Charters, Rolls, old Manuscripts, and the Collections of iudicious Antiquaries. Whereunto is prefixed a Discourse of Funerall Monuments. Of the Foundation and fall of Religious Houses. Of Religious Orders. Of the Ecclesiasticall estate of England. And of other occurrences touched vpon by the way, in the whole passage of these intended labours.' Although he was working before the iconoclasms of the Commonwealth period, the mediaeval memorials that he sought to record were already often mutilated and decayed, the inscriptions illegible or fragmentary, and many of those that he found recorded by earlier antiquaries had completely disappeared. His collection includes not merely physical monuments, but also, where he could find them, burial records and obits from the earlier centuries. This part of his work covers Westminster.

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Ancient Funeral Monuments in Westminster
 (1631)
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